August

The Class of 2016 Moves In

The skies were clear and music filled the air as the class of 2016 moved into the dorms at Sacred Heart University on Saturday, August 25. As each car backed in loaded with bedding, lamps, televisions, snacks and bottled water, the new students and their parents were greeted by upperclassmen and staff ready to help them unload the car and get settled in their new rooms.

Alyssa Molino confessed to being both excited and nervous – even though her Fairfield home is just five minutes away. “The SHU shuttle bus goes right my family’s home,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to meeting her two roommates who would be arriving from New York and New Jersey.

Proudly wearing his “Sacred Heart Dad” T-shirt, Al Molino said his daughter will have the “best of both worlds” while living on campus and still being close to home. “We are excited to have her at Sacred Heart.”

Adds Alyssa’s aunt, Casey Emory, who received her MAT from SHU and was recently named Teacher of the Year for the City of Bridgeport, “This is a good fit for Alyssa. When she visited here, she felt comfortable. It’s a small, safe environment.”Added her mom, Ann Burgess, “I’m excited for her. She loved the campus. It had everything she wanted.”Elizabeth Burgess of North Reading, MA, was excited to be starting her college career at SHU. She will be on the pre-med track. “I like the campus and the location. It’s just the right distance from home,” she said. “I didn’t want a big state school, and I didn’t want a tiny school. This is the right size.”

One young man, about 11 years old, just shrugged when asked if he was going to miss his sister. “She’s moving on; it’s good for her,” he said.

Denise Tiberio, associate dean of Students and Greek Life, was pleased with how smoothly the move-in process went. “It helped that about 350 freshmen had already moved in as part of the pre-fall programs that have been taking place the past couple of weeks,” she noted.